Dry-battery torch or flash lamp



.Fume 4, 1946. H. F. HEDGE l 2,401,349

DRY-BATTERY TORCH OR FLASH LAMP Filed Dec. 2`, 1943 l Inventor /-'S Attrngy Patented June 4, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application December 2, 1943, Serial No. 512,651

In Great Britain January 7, 1943` 2 Claims.

This invention relates to dry-battery torches or flash lamps.

In dry-battery torches or flash lamps as now usually made the battery is loosely fitted into a metal casing which also carries the bulb and a sliding and/or buttonv switch adapted to make contact with a metal strip or stud Contact to complete the electric circuit through the lamp.

The object of the present invention is to provide a greatly cheapened form of dry-battery torch or flash lamp in which the outer metal or other casing is dispensed with.

According to the present invention the lamp is adapted to be carried by a metal member forming part of the dry battery the body of which battery constitutes also the body of the torch or liash lamp.

By this arrangement the whole of the torch with the exception of the lamp may be discarded when the battery has become dead, a new torch being completed by afxing the lamp to a new battery of the kind required for the purpose of the invention.

A torch battery for the purpose of the present invention may comprise two cells connected in series by a wire which at one end is soldered to the metal stud on the upper end of one cell whilst the opposite end is embedded within the interior of the other cell.

The lamp bulb may either be at the top of the torch or at the side and to enable the invention to be clearly understood and carried into effect examples of both embodiments will now be described by aid of the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. l is a vertical section through the improved torch having the lamp bulb at the side and Fig. 2 is a similar view illustrating a further embodiment in which the lamp bulb is at the top.

Referring now to the preferred embodiment illustrated in Fig, l, the lamp bulb a is adapted to be supported in a horizontal position by a holder consisting of a vertical strip b which is soldered to the metal stud c of one of the cells c. The cells are enclosed in a wrapping of paper or other suitable material forming a casing lc which extends upwardly to a point above the bulb holder b. A partition u similarly of paper material or the like separates the cells from each other. The upper open end of the casing 1c is provided with a closure or top wall o of a suitable thermoplastic material such as bitumen and an opening wis formed in the peripheral wall (Cl. Z110-10.61)

of the casing for the insertion of the lamp bulb into the holder. The bulb is positioned by being screwed through the` holder until its contact point abuts against a vertical leg d of a substantially U-shaped metal strip: e the base' whereof is embedded in the aforesaid closure material o to support the strip within the` casing above the cells. The other leg of the strip e is indicated at f.

In this embodiment the switch is a separate metal strip g which at its lower end is attached to the outer metal casing of the adjacent cell and is bent over at its upper end to form a horizontal projection h opposing the short vertical leg f on the contact strip e. The strip g is bent to form a bulging thumb piece z' opposite to a hole 7 in the torch casing 1c and by means of which the strip may be pressed in to bring the parts h and f into contact to complete the electrical circuit through the lamp bulb.

Referring now to Fig. 2 the lamp bulb a is adapted to be supported in a vertical position for which purpose it is screwed into the horizontal leg l of a bent metal strip so as to make contact with the metal stud c of one of the cells c, which leg extends across the upper ends of the two cells, whilst the other or vertical leg m extends down on the outside of the other cell. Serving to separate and insulate from each other the metal casings of the two cells is a U-shaped strip n of waxed card or other suitable material. This strip extends underneath and up the inner and outer sides of the cell remote from the lamp so as to be interposed also between the vertical leg m and the opposing side or the cell. Opposite to the lower extremity of this vertical leg the interposed card strip is cut away to form an opening o through which said lower extremity may be pushed into contact with the exposed metal surface of the cell casing thereby to cornplete the electrical circuit through the lamp.

The two or more cells composing the improved torch and the vertical leg of the metal strip are enclosed in a paper or like wrapping p which for preference, is extended upwards so that its upper edge comes level with or above the light bulb so as to protect the same against knocks. The space above the cells up to the top edge of the paper wrapping may be lled in with a bitumen or other suitable material as at q in such a manner as to leave a recess 1- for the lamp. This filling serves both to afford protection to the lamp and to bind the separate parts together. To cause the lamp to light the outer paper wrapping opposite to the free end of the vertical leg of the aforesaid metal strip is pressed by the nger to force said leg into contact with the exposed metal casing of the adjacent cell. The spot to be thus pressed may be suitably marked on the outside of the wrapper.

In both examples the two cells of the battery are connected in series by a wire s which at one end is soldered to the metal stud c' on the left hand cell whilst the other end is soldered as at t to the metal casing of the right hand cell.

What I claim is:

1. In a iiash lamp, a drybattery comprising a pair of primary cells connected in series, a casing enclosing said cells and defininga free space above the cells, a contact stud on each of the cells, a lamp bulb holder secured to the stud of one of the cells in electrical contact therewith, said holder projecting upwardly from said stud and being adapted to receive and hold the bulb in a horizontal position, a contact strip secured to the top wall of the casing and having a pair of downwardly projecting spaced depending legs, one of said legs extending adjacent the holder to contact the lamp bulb positioned in the holder, and a exible metal strip secured at one end thereof to the outer metal casing of the other cell in electrical contact therewith, the

free end of said strip being adapted to be pressed into contact with the other leg of the contact strip aforesaid to complete the circuit through the lamp bulb.

2. In a flash lamp having a dry battery comprising at least two primary cells connected in series, a wrapping of suitable material enclosing said cells and forming a casing extending upwardly thereof, a contact stud on each of said cells, a lamp bulb holder secured to the stud of one of the cells in electrical contact therewith, said holder projecting vertically upwardly from said stud and being adapted to receive and hold the bulb in a horizontal position, a closure for,

the top end of said casing above said holder, a contact strip having a portion embedded in said closure and a pair of spaced depending legs projecting downwardly from said closure, one of said legs contacting the lamp bulb when this latter is positioned in the holder, and a switch comprising a metal strip secured at one end thereof to the otherV cell in electrical contact therewith, the free end of said strip being adapted to be pressed into contact with the other leg of the contact strip aforesaid to complete the circuit through the lamp bulb.

HERBERT FRANK HEDGE. 

